It can be done, and it is easier than you might have anticipated. Many blinds are hung inside the window frame, which provides plenty of room to hang the curtain rods on the outside of the window. If your blinds are hung as “outside-mount,” or hung outside the window frame, you will just need to select a curtain rod that is slightly wider, higher, and deeper than the hardware blinds.

First, measure the width and depth of the brackets that hold the blinds in place. Next, add one and a half to two inches on either side to make sure the rod brackets will fit outside the blinds. Then, measure how deep the blind brackets are, and make sure that the curtain rod comes out from the wall an extra inch or two to clear the blind brackets. Finally, when you hang the curtain rod brackets, do so slightly higher than the blinds. This will hide the blinds’ hardware and ensure the curtains do not catch on the blinds when you closet them. Be sure to add the extra height to your measurements for the curtains, so they hang at or below the window, depending on the look you want.

-Faux Wood Blinds

These blinds are affordable, but more importantly, resist the warping that can plague real wood blinds. White is a classic choice, although you can find them in a variety of stains.

-Cordless Pleated Shades

These shades are a great choice for homes with kids, as they are much safer than window treatments with cords. These are available in many different shades.

-Roman Shades

These offer the best of both worlds, they have the color and style of fabric window treatments with the functionality of blinds and shades.  The also are available in either fabric or wood.

Choosing the right window treatments for you and your home will depend on several things, including the size of your room, your privacy needs, your personal decorating style, the attractiveness of your windows and your lighting needs.
Because the rooms in your home are small in scale, you will want to stay away from large or layered draperies that encroach into the space in the room. If the room has windows with attractive woodwork or molding, you probably will want to choose window treatments mounted just inside the window, such as Roman Shades. For reference, placing any window treatment just inside the existing window makes windows seem larger and will add size to the overall appearance of your room. As an added bonus, these shades raise and lower effortlessly by an intricate weave cord, so you can readily choose the amount of light and privacy you want in your rooms.

I have finally talked my husband into spending a decent amount of money to replace the ugly blinds in our bedroom. Instead of the standard blinds, I am going to put in these great Roman blinds. I really like the look of Roman blinds because they have a really simple look, yet they compliment the theme of furniture in our master bedroom. They block the sun nicely considering our bedroom faces east. My dogs also are not able to destroy them as the old plastic blinds we had before. A perfect and practical change for our room.

When my mini-blinds start looking like they need cleaning (or else in the two weeks I do heavy housecleaning before a family holiday dinner, 2 or 3 times a year), I take them down, run warm to hot water in the tub deep enough to hold 4 sets of mini-blinds, add about a cup or so of dishwasher detergent, and about a cup of ammonia. (With your blue blinds, you might skip the ammonia.) Lower the blinds into the water, swishing them up a down a time or two, and walk away. Come back a couple of hours later (during which time I clean the windows - I have the kind that drop in so I can clean the outsides also, and at the same time I put the curtains through the washer & dryer.) Rinse thoroughly; stand up in the tub so they can drain. Come back an hour later, and hang the blinds. They will not have drained thoroughly dry so some of the slats will stick together and you have to plop them with a finger to get them to come apart.

I do this 3-4 times a year, and my white blinds look absolutely sparkling when I re-hang them. No streaks, no smudges, no having to wipe down each slat. And my windows and inside window frames are clean - which is so much easier to do when the blinds are in the tub and the curtains in the washer and dryer. My curtains do not need ironing or dry-cleaning, so I can just re-hang them after I re-hang the blinds.